Tag: Messiah

Jacob’s progeny was an unruly bunch. Our dysfunctional society has nothing on them, and Jacob’s in particular reads like a trashy dime-store novel. Of course, having two official wives and two sort-of wives probably didn’t help much. So let’s start with the first born, who’s name is immortalized in the rye and sauerkraut sandwich, Reuben.

This hot-blooded young man had a one-night stand with one of his father’s sort-of wives (i.e., his step-mother), eventually getting him booted out of line for the first-born blessing rights, which was a really big deal back in those days. (Jacob would have known that, having maneuvered the same kind Continue reading “Reuben, more than a sandwich”

Get out the chocolate Easter eggs! Anyone remember this little slogan from Hershey’s chocolate?

I’m fascinated how the Bible has something for everyone. For the artists, the adventurers, those who love the ancient equivalent of chick-flicks, and (gulp!) yes, even horror stories! This is a tome that communicates both in the concrete and the abstract, through definite laws and regulations, as well as metaphor and poetry and song.

“Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me.”

Not His hand, mind you; His fist. It’s one thing to be stopped in your tracks by an upraised hand, or even slapped by an open one; it’s another to be socked in the jaw with someone’s fist! Granted, this poor woman was not only in the throes of grieving a deep personal loss, but her situation had some pretty unfavorable economic implications as well, such as, how are we going to eat? Here’s why I LOVE this statement—because the person who said it was SO TOTALLY WRONG! In fact, though she couldn’t see it, she was about to become a very important cog in the Continue reading “Can’t see around the bend?”

I’m gifted. At least, that’s what my folks were told back when I was in 5th grade. So they put me in different school for a couple of years, which was really nice of them, since it meant mom had to carpool a few of us “gifted” kids to and fro. (Never mind that fact that my older brother, who was not recognized as “gifted”, went on to be the Purdue engineer, celebrated in his field as international keynote and author, widely traveled, as well as musician/artist on the side. Yeah, don’t overestimate manmade “tests” for gifted-ness….just saying.)

Right, so here I am, gifted. Of course, a gift is something that is innately given, something for which the receiver has no claim to credit, nothing they can legitimately boast about, because it’s, well…a gift.

Which, clearly, can come in all forms, some of which are recognized and valued, some of which are undisclosed and certainly undervalued. And, just as obviously (at least, to me, maybe that’s part of my “gifted-ness”), what Continue reading “Not about me?”

Yeah, I know, I know, Christmas is over, but the message is still relevant this far into 2016! The author can be found here: UFUOMAEE I recommend you wander over to her place and see what else she has in store for you this still very new year.

(Oh, and if you’re new to this part of the blog, here’s the “disclaimer”.)

Say “CHEESE”…(click)

May I have the honor of introducing you to the Creator of vibrant rainbows, redwood forests, and the duckbill platypus? He is not only amazingly creative, terrifyingly awesome, but also incredibly humorous. (And He likes to see you smile....honest.)